Family of man shot by cop: 'We're still just trying to wrap our heads around this'

The man shot and killed by Northern York County Regional Police in a church parking lot early Saturday morning had his run-ins with the law, but he was trying to make changes, his family said.

Wayne Stough Jr. said he called his son, Gregory Stough, 27, on Saturday to make plans for them to see each other.

"I just tried to call him because he was going to bring his girls by for their Christmas presents," Wayne Stough said, referring to Gregory's daughters. "Then, 10 minutes later, my ex called me."

She told him their son had died. He had been shot by Northern York County Regional Police in the parking lot of Stillmeadow Church of Nazarene.

Stough's family has a lot of questions about what happened that led to Gregory being shot and killed by police, he said.

His son was in the area to visit family who live near the church, but they weren’t home, he said. Stough speculated that his son might have been out drinking and decided to "sleep it off" in the church parking lot. He emphasized that police did not say that's what had happened.

Keesha Wolfe, Gregory Stough's older sister, said her brother's problems with alcohol and his legal trouble were the reasons they had grown apart, until recently, when they started to rebuild their relationship.

Gregory Stough(Photo11: Submitted)

"My brother has been in a lot of trouble," Wolfe said. "He's been in trouble, but he's straightened up."

Wolfe, of Hagerstown, Maryland, cried as she talked about how she grew up with her brother in the Spring Grove area but how, as adults, they grew apart. Recently, the two were growing close again, she said.

"He was a good dad; his kids meant everything for him," Wolfe said. "He made a lot of changes in his life for his girls."

She remembered him describing his plans for the future when they saw each other at Thanksgiving.

"He was changing to make sure his girls had a good life," Wolfe said. "He told me he wanted to do what was right for himself, right for his kids."

The last time Wolfe saw Gregory was on Christmas when they gathered at their father's house. "It was normal," she said. "He was normal. He had a clear head."

In the past, Wolfe said, her brother didn't always have a clear head. He had problems with alcohol, and he had recently gotten out of prison, Wolfe said.

According to York County Prison records, Gregory Stough was released from the prison Sept. 28, 2017, after being incarcerated for not paying fines and costs for vehicle offenses. Prison records show he was in prison for two days before he was released.

The first time he had been sent to York County Prison was in 2013. He was there for 30 days in connection with a harassment case.

At the time Northern York County Regional Police made contact with Stough in the parking lot of Stillmeadow Church in Manchester Township, Stough had warrants for traffic-related incidents, Pennsylvania State Police said.

A 27-year-old man was killed in a police-involved shooting in the Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene parking lot Jan. 6. Police said Gregory Stough struck an officer with his car and another officer fatally shot him.

Wolfe searched for answers about what might have happened that led to police shooting and killing her brother. State police reported that Stough resisted arrest before striking an officer with his vehicle and trying to run down another officer.

She wondered how police handled the situation when they encountered her brother in the parking lot.

"I don't understand how this escalated," she said.

Wayne Stough Jr. said he is waiting for more information from his son's autopsy and from investigators. He wondered if police captured any of the incident on video.

"We're still unsure of all the details of what happened," he said. "We're still trying to piece it together."

Jourdan Stough, Gregory Stough's brother, said his brother helped him through so many different things in life.

"My brother was my rock," Jourdan Stough said. "And a wonderful soul to be around."
He said his brother, a private person who was an extremely hard worker and loved his beard, was known as "That guy," because you could rely on him.

"If you needed anything, he was that guy who would help," Jourdan Stough said.

Wayne Stough Jr. remembered his son as a funny kid, always good for a laugh. He had his troubles, Wayne Stough Jr. said, "but yeah, he was a good kid."